Apparatus for burning fuels



Aug. 22, 1933. W SALLEE 1,923,330

APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUELS Original Filed Feb. 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 22, 1933. w. sALLEE APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUELS Original Filed Feb. 19. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 5 v o o o o m o o o 8 0 0J Il 0 o o 4 f 4 0 90Go 3 o \\-J. l 4 |||||'l\\4 o i 4 m HM: T.. d. Z IIFIIIIIU; O 3

G 00 O IIE 000 `o o Ilhlulm o f/WM/ Allg. 22, 1933. w |l SALLEE 1,923,330

APPARATUS FOR BURNING FUELS Original Filed Feb. 19, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented ug. 22, 1933 APPARATUS `rou BURNING FUELS Webster I; Sallee, Cleveland, Ohio Original rapplication February 19, 1930, Serial Divided and this application February 2, 1931. Serial No.512,766

13 Claims. (Cl. 15S-4l This invention relates to an apparatus for burning liquid fuels such as low grade, oils and' tars efficiently, permitting the use of such fuels in sand driers, metal treating furnaces andthe like, and is in the nature Yof a divisional application of my copending application Ser. No..111,279, filed December 3, 1929 and Serial No. 429,519, filed February 19, 1930. i 1 p Effective combustion of such fuels requires that the oil be atomized, thoroughly mixed with .a conveying medium, and burned before the globules have settled out from the mixture.

The methods now employed contemplate atomicing the fuel by a fuelgun or ejector which is arranged to discharge directly into the combustion chamber ci a drier or furnace, depending on the radiant heat from the relatively large combustion chamber to vaporize and ignite the fuel.

Incomplete and ineiiicient combustion of the fuel resultsV from these methods, causing carbonaceous deposits on the Walls of the combustion chamber` and loss of fuel dueto suspended carbon and combustible gases passing out of thefurnace with the products of combustion.

in sand driers and heating equipment inv which the products of combustion come in Contact With the vmaterial being treated, 'a clean flame and clean products of combustion are necessary. Y

lt is therefore an object of my invention to reduce the costs of heating with liquid fuels byv obtaining eiiicient combustion thereof and effective application of the heat obtained.

Another object of my invention is to produce a clean flame and eliminate the vnecessity for eX- pensive stacks, and accomplish these results by the use of relatively inexpensive and easily obtainable equipment. I i Another object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for burning liquid fuels which, even when completely cold, may be heated to a temperature sufficient for efficient operation within a very few minutes, thus permitting closing down out of Werl-:ing hours and eliminating thev necessity of continuousheating or operation.

More specific objects ofmy invention include encient production and effective control of heat from liquid fuels through a very Wide range of 4volun es and temperatures. y n

Another speciilic object of my inventonis to eliminate destructive concentration of heat on any part of the combustion cham er of a furnace or drier and to eliminate large radiation losses, by

obtaining combustion evcnlyvdistributed over the most effective areas.

,Another object is topreheat 'the fueleconom'- drical shell, lined W v as nre brick 8, and is relatively small in compari" cally and control the size and shape of the flame.

Other objects and advantages of vmy invention Will become apparent from the following description, in which reference ismade to the drawings by the use ofV numerals. i

In the drawingsy Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus suitable forV carrying out the method of myinvention,

portions being shown in section forclearness.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatusillustrated in Fig. 1. Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of the oil atomizng gun and register illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Y v

l My process contemplates vaporization and partial coinbustion of an intimate mixture of Iair andv oil. by radiant heat, While theA mixture retained centrally of an enveloping quantity of air under pressure, the movement of the burning and vaporized oil and the enveloping air stream into a second enveloping air stream, wherein combuston is completed.

`An apparatus which I havefound eiiicient for carrying out this process includes a primary va- Aporizingv chamber 1, closed at one end by a plate 2 having an opening to receive an air register 3,

in which is mounted an oil atomizing gun 4 adaptled to discharge a stream of atomized fuel into theY The other end `of, this vaporizing v chambers l. chamber is contracted to form a cone-like head 5 and a nozzle' 6, through which the heating media of the vaporizing chamber 1 may pass. through a suitable port 'l into'a combustion chamber of a furnace or drier. l

The Vaporizing `chaniber-l is preferably a cylinith refractory material, such son to the furnace or' drier to be heated.y At a very moderate cost it may be linedfwith a high quality refractory and covered vvith asbestos orA other insulating material. aturessuicient to cause almost instantaneous vapcrizationl of low grade oilsare brought in closer .proximity to theY stream of atomized fuel and damage to the apparatus from high temperature as Well as heat losses by radiation are eliminated.

To introduce air and a spray of atomized oill into this chamber, the oil gun and air register fully described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,680,455, with certain modifications to .meet my requirementahave proven satisfactoryY and are here shown for purposes of illustration. Any efficient atornizing` gun may be used however.

Thus high temper--A As there described, the oil gun consists of a hollow casing 1), in which is mounted a spinner Y conduit 19 passing into the casing 10 and. joincomplete atomization and ,ing the hollow shaft 12 through which the oil is discharged into the inside of the spinner 11. The spinner 11 imparts a rotary 'motion to the oil and discharges it in the form of a whirling sheet, conical in form. In the discharge end of the spinner 11 are a number of inturned teeth which strike the oil as it is thrown out of the spinner, imparting additional rotary motionthereto, and mechanically breaking the oilinto aspray of small globules. The air stream, after passing the turbine 14,

passes out of the casing y10 between the casing and the spinner 11. Varies 2i] are provided Within the casing near the discharge end'tog cause the air stream to leavethe'casing with a spiral motion, the direction of rotation beingopposite to that of the oil stream so that the oil strikes the air at an abrupt angle'and insures more mixture.

As described in said patent, additional air is supplied through an air register 3. Radial Vanes 21 mounted on rocker shafts 22 in the register 3, are provided to control the shape of the air stream passing out of the register. The rocker shafts 22 are pivotally mounted in a collar 23 about the gun casing 10 at their inner ends. The outer ends pass throughopenings in the registencasing and are bent over to engage notches in a ring 24 loosely mounted on and rotatable about the register casing. By rotating theY ring 24, the rocker shafts 22 rotate about their axes concurrently, changingethe angle of the vanes 21 with respect to their open positions, which are parallel to the axis of the register.

In the patented structure, the volume of air A drawn through the register 3 is controlled by an end plate such as the plate 25 whichis slidable axially ofA the register on supporting rods 26 to increase or decrease the opening between the end plate and register.

In order to adapt this patented structure for my purposegI use longer supporting rods 26 and increase the length of the-casing 10 of the oil gun 4 and movejthe end plate 25 to its withdrawn position on the longer rods, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 herein, and there secure it. Be-

tween the end plate 25 and the register 3 I install a sealed even pressure chamber 30 opening into the register 3, and control the volume of airpassed therethrough into the register in a different manner, as will later be described.

Air under pressure is Ysupplied intof the even pressure chamber by a fan 31, through a suitable conduit 32. A number of shutters 33 are provided at the entrance of the even pressure chamber 3 to control the volume of air entering it. These shutters may be provided with rocker shafts 34 extending through the Walls ofthe even pressure chamber and bent over at their outer ends to engage notches in slidable lever 35, kthe movement of which changes the size of the air passage into the even pressure chamber by changing concurrently the angular position ofthe shutters.

As shown, it is desirable to make the even pressure chamber much larger than the opening of the register 3, so that eddy currents will be broken up and a direct and even flow of air into the register Will be obtained. By this arrangement the shape and volume of the air stream emanating from the register can be aocurately controlled. Either a direct or swirling stream of air may be obtained, and the direction of rotation of the swirling stream caused to be clockwise or counterclockwise by shifting the angle ofthe vanes 21.

As described, the mixture of oil and air entering the vaporizing chamber has a spiral motion. The large volume ofrair supplied through the register builds up a pressure Within this chamber and enevelopes the burning mixture from the gun, retaining it approximately centrally ofthe combustion chamber.

A rapid mixture of this air with the oil spray may beobtained by turning the radial vanes 21 so that the column of air from the register rotates in a direction opposite to that of the spray to increase the vangle of impact of the two. The ame can be-lengthened by admitting Aa direct current-of air from the register. By rotating this air column in the same direction as the llame, still further control of the shape of the flame can be obtained.

Since the vaporizing chamber is relatively small,

it can be heated within a period of a very few minutes to a temperature which will cause almost instantaneous vaporization of the atomized fuel. This eliminates the necessity of continuous heating and permits closing down the burner when j the drier or furnace is not in use. I Further, by using a comparatively small chamber, a source of radiant heat isbrought yclose to the stream of atomized oil. Thus the radiant heat in close proximity causes rapid andv complete vaporization ofthe oilfwhile suspended in the air. Likewise, due to the limited size of the vaporizing chamber and large volume of air introduced therein and expansion ,of the vaporizedl oil, a

pressure isbuilt up, forming van envelope of air i',

about the oil stream, which retards the movement of the oil globules out from the atomizing air stream and prevents their Contact with the v Walls of the' vaporizing chamber.

,'Further, the surrounding envelope is heat-ed and mixes readily with the vaporized oil.

A burning and vwell mixed volume of gas from the oil and air, surrounded by a large quantity of preheated air is obtained in this manner.

The pressure of the mixture is transformed into l! velocity by the contracted nozzle of the chamber.

I now direct the burning gases and the enveloping air into any furnace or apparatus in which it is desired to use it. I do 'this by providing yat the; entrance'of the combustion chamber of the Ziff 'furnace or drier a re tube 7 of greater diameter than the nozzle 6, having atits entrance end a suitable bell 41 with an inner contour substantially Acomplementary to the conelike head 5 of the vaporizing chamber. The re tube shown tains the flame in a position .spaced from the walls of the combustion chamber. The heat thus removed is recuperated as the air thus heated unites more rapidly with the gasesand insures complete and efficient. combustion of the fuel iandV gases While .in the furnace combustion chamber.

The air thus drawn in also forms a second surrounding envelope of air and prevents the gases or any suspended oil therein from coming into contact with the walls of thecombustion'chamber of the furnace.

Due to the pressure and swirling motion in the vaporizing chamber, the gases and mixture passing 'therefrom form into a spinning column. of flame, the shape of which can be accurately controlled. This iiame and mixture being composed of light gases, retains its shape and position near the axis of the column of indrawn air, which likewise has a spiral motion, due .to the action of the gases as above described.' Radial vanes, which may be in form and function similar to those in the register, may be provided within the annular opening to control the direction of rotation of this air stream, and consequently the shape of flame.

The vaporizing chamber may be moved axially of or offset from the axis of the nre tube and bell, so as to change the size and shape of the opening between the bell 4l and conelikehead of the vaporizing chamber, thus controlling the amount of air admitted, and the direction and location of the flame.

In order to obtain these positions the legs of the vaporizing chamber may be made in sections such as 48 and 49, and connected by adjusting screws 50. Each of the legs may be provided with a suitable bearing plate such as 52 preferably resting on the door but not attached thereto, so that lateral movement of the vaporizing chamber is possible. It should be noted that the fuel` and air feed lines 18, 32 and i9 are provided with flexible connections to permit such changes in position of the vaporizing chamber.

To preheat the oil when the apparatus is started, I provide an electric heating coil 'l5 about a portion of the oil feed conduit. Sincepreheating is at all times desirable, 'l may provide several turns of the oilfeed conduit about the vaporizing chamber as at 46, enclosing the coil inla suitable housing 47. As soon as the vaporizing chamber is heated, the oil passing through the coil of conduit will be heated sufficiently so that the electric coil may be closed down.

It should be noted in this connection that while I have described my apparatus as utilizing air for various purposes, a combustible gas may be used for part or all of the purposes mentioned as to air and will produce very satisfactory results economically.

Experience has proven that without varying the size of the vaporizing chamber or any of the parts of the apparatus, eicient combustion of very heavy crude oil or tars in quantities of from l5 to 140 gallons per hour may be obtained, although a greater range is possible. While for purposes of illustration, I havedescribed my invention in connection with the burning of liquid fuels, it may also be applied to other fuels that are capable of being reduced to small particles,

and the invention is so claimed. Again it should be notedthat by specifying air in the claims, I means to include any combustion sustaining gas as an equivalent and have used the term fair for brevity.

ThusI have effected amarked reduction in the cost of heating and have accomplished the -objects above set forth. Y

Iclaim: .l i n. Y

1. An apparatus for `burning fuels, including a refractory chamber, a fuelgun vin one end of said chambenmeans for discharging a stream of small fuel particles and air through said gun into said chamber, said chamber being heated interiorly by combustion of said fuel and vthereby providing a source Aof radiant heat `in said chamber for heatingand rapidly vaporizing and igniting said fuel, means at thesaid end of said chamber operable independently of .the first named means for blowing a stream of air past the gun into said chamber coaxial with the stream of fuel and discharged by the gun, said chamber being contracted toward the discharge end for discharging the mixture of fuel and air therefrom at relatively high velocity to'points of application, means to vary theshape of thestream of products discharged into. said refractory chamber. t

2. An apparatus. for burning fuels, including a refractory chamber, a fuel gun for discharging a stream of small fuel particles into said chamber,

means: for blowing air through said gun into said chamber, said chamber being heated interiorly by combustion of saidfuel and thereby providing a source of radiant heat in said chamber for heating and vaporizing and igniting the fuel during its passage throughsaid chamber, means for forcing air into said chamber around the fuelr gun in spaced relation to the walls of the chamber, said means being operable independently of the first named means, and said chamber being` contracted at the discharge end to form a nozzle for discharging air and fueltherefrom at rela'- tively high velocity into'a -port,said.port being flared around and spaced from said nozzle to form an annular passage whereby additional air is induced about said burning stream discharged from said chamber andthe wallsof said port are protected from excessive heat.

3. An apparatus for burning" fuels, including a circumferentially vclosed Vaporizing-chamber, a fuel .gun adapted for discharging a stream of fuel particles and air into saich chamber coaxial therewith, an air register opening into said chainber` around Said gun, means .for blowing air through said register, said'chamber being heated interiorly. by combustion Vof said vfuel andY thereby 'providing' a source of radiant heat in said chamber wherebysaid fuel maybe vaporized and ignited, a .contracted discharge nozzle at the end of said chamber opposite theffuel gun, said nozzle. `discharging into a port, Ysaid port being flared around and spaced from said vnozzle and forminga passage for air therebetween and means to regulate the flow of air through saidipassage.

4. An apparatus for burning fuels, including a circumferentallyclosed chamber, a fuel gun-arranged at one endof. the chamber and adapted to discharge a stream of .fuel particles andair into said chamber, means to blow an additional stream of air into said chamber coaxial with said` gun and at rpredetermined pressure above at-A mospheric pressure, said means being operable ber to vaporize and ignite said fuel, said chamber being contracted toward the dischargejend .and having a discharge opening coaxial with the gun at theopposte end Vof the chamber tlflerefrom,

whereby the pressure of said air is transformed into velocity and products from saidchamber are discharged as a rapidly moving burning stream, a port communicating with said .nozzle and discharging into a' combustion chamber, means for introducing additional air intol said products discharged from said vaporizing chamber after said products are discharged from said chamber.- i

5. An apparatus for burning fuels, including a refractory vaporizing chamber, a fuel gun adapted for discharging a stream of fuel particles and air into said chamber at one end, an air register communicating with said chamber around the gun, an even pressure chamber communicating with said register, .means rto blow air under predeterminedpressure into said even pressure chamber, whereby eddy currents are reduced and asmooth' flow of air into .the register is obtained, means to direct the air passing into the chamber through said register to form a swirling annular stream, said chamber `being heated interiorly by combustion of said fuel and thereby providing a source of radiant heat within saidV chamber to vaporize and ignite said fuel, Y

said chamberbeing contracted at the end opposite the gun to form a nozzle whereby said burning fuel and air may be discharged as a rapidly swirling stream into a combustion chamber.

6. An apparatus for burning fuels, including a refractory chamber, a fuel gun at one end of said chamber adapted forv Vdischarging a stream of fuel particles thereinto, means to blow air through said gun, said chamber being heated I interiorly by combustion of said fuel and thereby providing a source of radiant yheat within said chamber to vaporize and ignite the fuel, an annular air register communicating with said refractory chamber and forming an annular air passage around said fuelgun, means operable independently ofthe-first named means to introduce unagitated air under pressure Vthrough said register and into said chamber, said `chamber being contracted toward theend opposite the gun to form a restrictedy discharge opening for discharging said fuel and air therefromto points of application.

7,An apparatus for burning fuels, comprising a refractory chamber having one end closed by a wall, a fuel gun extending through said wall and adapted for supplying a stream of fuel into said chamber at said end, an annular opening in said wall around said gun, means to supply air through .said opening into and about said stream of fuel discharged by the gun, a contracted nozzle on the other end of said chamber coaxial with said p fuel stream for passing said fuel and air from said refractory chamber to points of application, a conduit for supplying fuel to said gun, said conduit passing around said refractory chamber in heating relation thereto intermediate a source of supply of fuel and said fuel gun.

8. An apparatus for burning fuels, comprising a precombustion chamber, a fuel gun at one end of said chamber adapted for discharging a stream of fuel particles thereinto, means for blowing air through said gun, a separate additional means for blowing an' annular streamy of air into said chamber around and coaxial with said gun', said last mentioned means being operable independently of the rst mentioned means for controlling independently the flow of air therefrom, said chamberbeing contracted toward the discharge end and forming'a v discharge passage coaxial with said gun Vand vat the 'opposite end of the chamber therefrom for discharging the burning mixture therefrom to points of application. 9. An apparatus for burning fuels, including a lrefractory vaporizing chamber having a discharge passage at one end, a fuel gun arranged at the other end of said chamber and adapted for discharging thereinto toward the discharge passage, means for forcing air and fuel through said gun into said chamber, means including a spinner coaxial with said gun and operatively associated therewith for effecting a predetermined directional movement of said fuel particles and air as they are discharged from said gun, an air register opening into said chamber around said gun, means for blowing air through said register into said' chamber around rthe stream of fuel and air discharged from said gun, said means beingoperable independently of `the first named means,'and said chamber being contracted toward the discharge end and forming a restricted discharge opening coaxial with l0. An apparatus for burning fuels including a refractory precombustion chamber, a fuel gun' at one end of said chamber adapted for discharging a vstream of fuel particles and air thereinto coaxialiy of the'chamber, said chamber being heated internally by combustion of said fuel and thereby providing asource of radiant heat for heating and rapidly vaporizing and igniting said fuel, an air register in said end of said chamber coaxial with said gun and adapted for discharging .air axially of said chamber around and c0- axial with the stream of air and fuel vdischarged from said gun, means for blowing air through said register, said chamber being contracted toward the end opposite from the gun and forming a discharge nozzle lcoaxial with the gun for .discharging said fuel and air fromsaid chamber at relatively high velocity to points of application. i v

l1. An apparatus for burning fuel comprising a refractory precombustion chamber contracted-.toward one end and having a restricted discharge passage at said contracted enda fuel gun at the other end of said chamber coaxial withy the discharge passage adapted for discharging a stream of fuel particies into said chamber axially thereof toward the discharge passage, blower means for blowing air through said gun, an airregister opening around said gun and4 coaxial therewith andarranged to discharge axially past the gun into said chamber, a conduit communicating with said register, a separate blower means for blowing air through said conduit into and through said register, and means in said conduit for changing the size of the air passage therethrough for controlling the flow of air through the register independently of the flow of air through said gun, and means in said register to impart selected vdirectional movements to the air discharged therethrough into said chamber.

l2. An apparatus for burning fuel comprising a refractory precombustion chamber contracted toward one end and having a restricted discharge passage at said contracted end, a fuel gun at the opposite end of said chamber coaxial withsaid dispassage andadapted for discharging a stream of fuel particles and air into the chamber axially toward the discharge passage, an annular air register around said gun coaxial therewith and having a discharge opening behind the discharge opening of the gun, means for supplying `air said gun for discharging the products from said Achamber to points of application. y

through said register axially of said gun into said chamber, and means for controlling the volume of flow of air thruogh said register independently of the flow of air through said gun.

13. An apparatus for burning fuels includinga refractory precombustion chamber, a fuel gun at one end of said chambergcoaxial therewith and adapted ior discharging a stream of fuel particles and air thereinto axially of the chamber, said chamber being heated internally by combustion of said fuel and thereby providing a source of radiant heat for heating and rapidly Vaporizing p and igniting said fuel, an air register in said end of the chamber coaxialwith said gun and adapted for discharging air axially of said chamber around and coaxial with the stream of air and fuel discharged from said gun, a spinner in said gun operable consequent upon passage of air 

